Dave Jones probably didn't expect his 300th match as Cardiff City manager to be quite as comfortable viewing as it turned out to be. Sven-Goran Eriksson's Leicester arrived in the Welsh capital boasting five consecutive wins and well in the hunt for an automatic promotion place.

A controlled display from the Bluebirds, including a 21st-minute strike from Michael Chopra and Aaron Ramsey's first goal since his horrific double leg-break, kept Cardiff within touching distance of Queens Park Rangers at the top and a point behind their fierce local rivals Swansea in second place.

The leaders, Rangers, showed their title credentials by weathering a storm at Loftus Road as Paul Jewell's reinvigorated Ipswich Town bombarded the home side's goal for long periods before Clint Hill popped up with another headed goal – he's making a habit of it – to set Neil Warnock's side on their way to a 2-0 victory.

Second-placed Swansea showed grit too as Brendan Rodgers shuffled his pack and watched his side hold on for long spells against Coventry before an inspired double substitution in the 72nd-minute swung the game the way of the Welsh side. Darren Pratley and Craig Beattie were replaced by Stephen Dobbie and Luke Moore. Moore added steel in midfield enabling the Swans to dominate possession, while Dobbie took only four minutes to make his mark and steal three valuable points for Swansea.

Elsewhere, Nottingham Forest lost ground after drawing with Preston in a dramatic finish in which Forest looked like they would take three points with Chris Cohen's 90th-minute strike, only to see their hopes dashed by Billy Jones minutes later, as Phil Brown's side drew their third match in a row.

There was a good old Yorkshire dust-up at Elland Road too, as Leeds and Barnsley played out a see-saw draw which included the sending off of United's Bradley Johnson and a fantastic 25-yard free-kick from the Tykes' Kieran Trippier to see that the spoils were shared. The draw leaves Leeds in sixth, a couple of points behind Norwich who drew 1-1 with Doncaster.

•In League one the leaders, Brighton, did the footballing equivalent of giving a dying dog a boot in its belly as they romped to a 4-0 victory over Plymouth, who were this week placed into administration and docked 10 points leaving them rooted to the foot of the table on 23 points.

•And in League Two, Chesterfield battled hard to defend their 1-0 lead against Bradford after Deane Smalley's strike in the 16th minute ensured they kept their nine-point lead over second-placed Wycombe intact.